With temperatures this morning in the single digits (and to this Southern girl that is cold!!!), today I am reflecting on one of my favorite things to do...jump off a diving board into a cool, clear swimming pool. There's nothing like that moment when your feet leave the board and you are flying in the air and anything is possible. Then you land in the water and the "work" begins. You have to swim....or sink. And sometimes the water is too cold and shocks you, or it's lukewarm and you are disappointed, but you start swimming or floating and after awhile, you get used to it. Before too long, you find yourself saying to others, "Come on in! The water's fine!"
Today I had three precious Springboard moments, those conversations where you are in dream mode, floating in the air and anything is possible. One was with a teacher who came in with an idea about using Bubble Gum Day in February as a service opportunity for her students. Before she left the idea had transformed into a dream of fourth graders running their own store where the proceeds go to charity. Then an elementary student dreamed with me about starting a school newspaper. Later a parent, my boss, and I tossed around ideas about funny promos for our school encouraging sportsmanship among our fans. I happily bounced through my day from one Springboard moment to the next . It was invigorating conversation, and on a cold winter Friday, who couldn't use a little invigoration?
As an administrator, if I am not careful, I can unintentionally stifle creativity in my school. I want people to feel like they can bring ideas to me and dream with me by being the "springboard" not the "brick wall". I should routinely participate in and provide springboard moments for my students, my parents, my teachers, and myself. Everyone needs opportunities to dream and soar and splash---a break from the necessary swimming that we all must do.
"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Where it all begins...
In the early 80's, I was the proverbial "latch-key kid". I walked home from school with my key jangling around my neck to an empty house, a kitchen full of snacks, and sole control of the T.V.'s channel changing knob. I had the power to choose from one of five channels. Every afternoon at 3:00 PM, I flipped past "Donahue", "Sha-Na-Na", "Sesame Street", and "Good Times", to get to "Little House on the Prairie". For this little girl whose dad left when I was six and whose mom worked all the time, I longed to be a part of the Walnut Grove community--- a place where people worked through conflict, faced trials, and celebrated achievement together.
Fast forward a few decades, and I find myself trying to be a mom, wife, and principal of a small, private Christian elementary school. While I own all 9 seasons of my favorite show, they sit untouched in my cabinet. I rarely have time to watch them. I have grown older and unfortunately wiser to the harsh realities that conflicts aren't always resolved, trials last longer than an hour (generally without commercial interruption), and sometimes life is too busy to even recognize, let alone celebrate achievement. Yet in my heart, I still believe that my imaginary childhood hometown was and is inspired by actual events, actual people, and places. So as I gingerly step into this world of blogging and reflection, I should probably write that the basis for my leadership paradigm is found in the teachings of renowned thinkers and innovative educators, but that wouldn't be accurate. It really began with a little girl longing to be a part of something and to belong somewhere more authentic than an empty house and a TV show. First and foremost what drives me as an administrator is to have a school that radiates this message to all that are there : "You are safe and you are valuable". Every lesson, schedule, activity, decision, and detail must be enveloped in these life-giving words.
Fast forward a few decades, and I find myself trying to be a mom, wife, and principal of a small, private Christian elementary school. While I own all 9 seasons of my favorite show, they sit untouched in my cabinet. I rarely have time to watch them. I have grown older and unfortunately wiser to the harsh realities that conflicts aren't always resolved, trials last longer than an hour (generally without commercial interruption), and sometimes life is too busy to even recognize, let alone celebrate achievement. Yet in my heart, I still believe that my imaginary childhood hometown was and is inspired by actual events, actual people, and places. So as I gingerly step into this world of blogging and reflection, I should probably write that the basis for my leadership paradigm is found in the teachings of renowned thinkers and innovative educators, but that wouldn't be accurate. It really began with a little girl longing to be a part of something and to belong somewhere more authentic than an empty house and a TV show. First and foremost what drives me as an administrator is to have a school that radiates this message to all that are there : "You are safe and you are valuable". Every lesson, schedule, activity, decision, and detail must be enveloped in these life-giving words.
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